The Difference Between Scales and Modes

If music theory sounds scary and confusing, here’s a short lesson in scales and modes that’s easy to follow and gives you useful information. In it, online guitar instructor Tyler Larson explains the difference between scales and modes to shed light on a vital facet of music theory that confuses many players.

“The first thing to know is that you should not think of scales as actual notes. Scales should be thought of as intervals,” Tyler says at the outset. “Really, keys exist for notation and sight-reading—actual written music.”

As for modes, “Within a single key, we can use a different base note of the notes making up that key,” he explains. “If we have seven notes in the major scale, we have potentially seven different places to start playing the major scale.”

Tyler gives examples and demonstrates the lesson as he goes to make it all clear.